The last few days I've been sitting in a jury room, examined by laywers about my fitness to pass judgment after I've examined the facts. But in between I get to read and I finished a book by Jed Perl called "New Art City." The book is interesting but uninspiring. There are stories of the also-rans that filled the scene during the 30 year rise & fall of American painting. Strangely the book details Fairfield Porter's work as a foil to Donald Judd's work in 60s and 70s. I'm still not sure what it was all about (not just me either), but I learned more about Porter than I ever thought I'd want to - appropriate to read this while sitting in a institutional waiting room with flourescent light sucking the juice out of my eyeballs. Really it wasn't my cup of tea, especially the flights of critical prose about some of the lesser knowns and the mushy attacks on the beginnings of POMO visuals.

Today I read a quick book called "Manual of Contemporary Style" by Pablo Helguera which is a witty sardonic look at getting a career in the art world. It's filled with good advice seen from the ambitious side AND/OR a send up of those very advisories - and because it's both of those things it tells you a lot about how the art world actually works. I had a giggle here and there, but I recognized too many of my friends, colleagues and my own ridiculous ambitions in a lot of the themes - ooochie, that smarts! I like to think I can take it as well as dish it out!

I also re-read "Marshall McLuhan and Virtuality" by Horrocks which basically makes the case for McLuhan as the progenitor of POMO critique. "McLuhan's texts and conception of language arguably prefigure postmodern theories of the writer, reader, and textuality." There is also a great bit describing hot and cool media which is a problem for a lot of folks - me included - it is a very slippery slope, but once traversed - liberating. This little book is a bit dry, but it hits all the high spots.

Tomorrow is my 3rd and hopefully last day in the jury pit - unless they snag me for a case. Plaintiffs love artists - they tend to lean for the people. I've served on 3 juries and I find it interesting how compact my reasoning gets. Facts, only the facts please, no theories, no conjecture, I like physical evidence and picking apart testimony, then I make my decision. I kind of feel that way about Art as well - but I think there's more room for fun.